Kerala Blasters have well and truly rediscovered their form. A 1-0 win over Indian Super League leaders Hyderabad FC at their den has not just catapulted the Blasters back into the top-four but reassured their credentials as title contenders yet again.
Dimitrios Diamantakos scored the winner, a fine finish from a rebound in the 18th minute. The Blasters who had ended October with a hat-trick of defeats have produced a treble of victories since the start of this month.
Ivan Vukomanovic's Blasters now sit just four points off the summit. It was Hyderabad's first defeat of the campaign.
Diamantakos, who made it three goals in as many matches, was taken off injured in the first half. However, his instinctive finish had been enough to overshadow the Hyderabad talisman Bart Ogbeche, who was once a Blasters forward and had left big shoes to fill for every attacker that joined the club since.
Ogbeche nearly scored before half-time but his free header, after a timely run into the box, went wide.
The visitors held on to the narrow lead and managed to keep out Hyderabad's waves of attacks. Aaren D'Silva scuffed a volley in injury time as the hosts came close to equalising.
But the Blasters survived, and in some sense, avenged their loss to Hyderabad in the final of last season.